Words and pictures from the author of the Elizabeth Goodweather Appalachian Mysteries

Monday, January 21, 2013

Owed to the Sun

Even before the sun is visible to us in the house, the upper woods to the north see him . . .

I hurry to the front porch to catch him peeking over the ridge and sending long shafts of light into the valley . . .

Then to the back porch again to see the light spilling down the slopes . . .

And back to the front porch where, at last, the star player makes his entrance . . .

Gilding the edges of all he touches.

Later in the day, I take a little walk. It's two-thirty and soon the sun will have disappeared behind the mountain at our back. But now it's warm in the entry garden and I look for pictures. There's lemon balm, unfazed by the recent snow...

I trim away the dead stalks of Autumn Joy sedum, but pile them on top of the emerging new buds for protection from cold to come . . .

Vicki, it's grand to see that early sunshine has got you on the move around your house. The varying light around your garden and your beautiful photographs brought some NC sunshine to me early this morning.

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MY BOOKS

Coming Events

2015

September 15 (First meeting) 6-8:30 pm at the Riverlink offices in Asheville.

Forty Pages -- a class through the Great Smokies Writing Program on UNC-Asheville

This ten session workshop is for those writers with a novel in progress, almost completed, or completed but in need of a final polish. Each student will submit forty pages (half at the beginning of the course, the rest during the sixth week) of his work in progress for discussion and critique by the class and close editing with written comments by the instructor. We will focus on the effective use of key techniques such as creating an intriguing opening line and compelling chapters, creating a likable and/or engaging protagonist, weaving in back story in small, manageable doses, writing realistic dialogue, setting up a dilemma that begs to be resolved, making the most of each scene and, in general, producing a page-turner. We will attempt to weed out the mistakes that mark the amateur writer and turn each student into a discerning editor of his own work. The suggested text is the highly acclaimed Don't Sabotage Your Submission by career manuscript editor Chris Roerden (Bella Rosa books --ISBN 978-1-933523-31-6.) LINK TO COME.

2016

June 5 - 11

JOHN C. CAMPBELL FOLK SCHOOL - A Practical Guide to Writing Popular Fiction

I'll be leading a class for all levels in the nuts and bolts of writing fiction for publication. Details probably not on line yet but this will be like my 2015 class HERE.

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THE MOMENT IN TIME!!!

Images and Content

All images and content are subject to copyright and are the sole property of Vicki Lane Mysteries. If you would like to use something from my blog on your blog or website, please email me and ask first. I'll probably say yes.

Who Am I? What Am I Doing Here?

I'm the author of The Elizabeth Goodweather Appalachian Mysteries from Bantam Dell. The series includes SIGNS IN THE BLOOD (LA MONTAGNE DES SECRETS in France), ART'S BLOOD, (LE SECRET DES APPALACHES in France,) OLD WOUNDS,IN A DARK SEASON (Anthony Nominee, Best PBO), and UNDER THE SKIN. There's also THE DAY OF SMALL THINGS (a spinoff/standalone)chronicling the unexpected life story of Miss Birdie, one of Elizabeth's neighbors.
Currently I am at work on a historical novel, dealing with a massacre in my county during the Civil War.
I came to this weird business late (my first novel was published in 2005) and am still trying to figure it out.
As my novels are set in a place much like my real life home, I thought I'd use this blog to share pictures of our farm and county. I've been blogging for nearly seven years now, on an almost daily basis, and the topics have ranged from writing, chickens, food, books, quilts, flora and fauna of all sorts, to the occasional tiny rant. There's no plan, but there are lots of pictures.
There's more information about me and my books on my web site: http://vickilanemysteries.com/